Hospice Registered Nurse

Gentiva Hospice • Liberty Lake, WA

17d • $95,000 - $99,000

About The Position

The Hospice Registered Nurse (RN) / RN Case Manager provides personalized hospice and palliative nursing care to patients with life-limiting illnesses and supports their families and caregivers. The nurse serves as a primary contact throughout the hospice journey and delivers skilled, hands-on care in patients’ homes, assisted-living residences, or other institutional settings. Care is based on individualized plans of care and includes assessment, symptom management, education, emotional support, and coordination with an interdisciplinary team.

The role includes initial and ongoing assessments, development and revision of care plans, coordination with physicians and other care professionals, timely clinical documentation, and communication of changes in patient condition. The nurse helps patients and families understand medication administration, hospice services and philosophy, symptom and pain management, and end-of-life processes. The position also supports continuity of care, appropriate transitions between care settings or levels, quality improvement, scheduling initiatives, and on-call patient support as applicable.

The work takes place in patients’ homes and/or institutional settings, as well as in an automobile, and may involve exposure to infections, communicable diseases, odors, blood, excreta, and hazardous materials. This is a safety-sensitive position. Gentiva describes itself as a national provider of hospice, palliative, home health, and advanced illness management services, with nearly 600 locations and clinicians across 38 states.

Requirements

• Registered Nurse education.
• At least one year of RN experience in acute-care hospital, oncology, long-term care, hospice, or home health; school internships and clinical hours may be considered in individual cases.
• Current license to practice nursing in the state of requested employment.
• CPR certification.
• Current automobile insurance and a valid driver’s license.
• Must have and maintain transportation for work.
• Knowledge of terminally ill patients and their families and of hospice care and the special needs of hospice patients and families.
• Knowledge of the roles of disciplines providing hospice services and of community resources.
• Strong patient assessment skills and knowledge of general nursing practice.
• Knowledge of documentation and program management, managed-care principles, and regulatory guidelines, including Medicare, Medicaid, and ACHC.
• Good oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to support patients and families during life-and-death issues and times of crisis, and to communicate effectively with people from all socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Flexibility to perform varied tasks while maintaining efficiency and composure, along with maturity, cooperation, tact, and effective workplace functioning.
• Ability to operate nursing assessment tools, computers, facsimile equipment, copier, and cell phone or beeper.
• Must meet applicable state-specific requirements and minimum requirements to be eligible for benefits.

Nice To Haves

• Hospice or palliative care experience.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a primary point of contact for patients and families throughout the hospice journey.
• Perform comprehensive initial and ongoing patient assessments and reassessments, including in-person or telephonic assessments and screenings.
• Deliver and document skilled nursing interventions and symptom management in line with individualized plans of care and goals of care.
• Develop and update individualized plans of care, including visit frequency, based on patient needs and identified risks.
• Coordinate care with interdisciplinary team members, including physicians, nurse practitioners, LPNs, CNAs, social workers, and chaplains.
• Provide patients, family members, and caregivers with education about disease processes, self-care, end-of-life care, medications, nutrition, dietary needs, and hospice services.
• Teach caregivers to provide safe care and offer emotional support and reassurance.
• Communicate changes in condition and signs or symptoms of decline to the appropriate provider.
• Support continuity of care, appropriate referrals, and transitions among home health, palliative, hospice, and other levels of care.
• Maintain timely and accurate clinical records, including screening and assessment findings, physician orders, progress notes, and care plans.
• Maintain effective working relationships with the interdisciplinary group and involve the team when the care plan warrants participation.
• Provide emotional, physical, and spiritual support to patients and loved ones, including bereavement guidance.
• Participate in on-call and patient support activities as applicable, providing clinically competent and responsive service.
• Follow infection-control, regulatory, and organizational compliance standards.
• Support quality-improvement and scheduling initiatives and contribute to patient and caregiver satisfaction.

Benefits

• Competitive pay.
• 401(k) with company match.
• Career advancement opportunities.
• National and local recognition programs.
• Teammate Assistance Fund.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance for full-time associates.
• Mileage reimbursement or fleet vehicle program for full-time associates.
• Paid time off and seven paid holidays for full-time associates.
• Wellness programs, including telemedicine, diabetes management, and joint and spine concierge care, for full-time associates.
• Education support and tuition assistance, including ASN-to-BSN and BSN-to-MSN pathways, for full-time associates.
• Free continuing education units for full-time associates.
• Company-paid life and long-term disability insurance for full-time associates.
• Voluntary benefits, including pet, critical illness, accident, and long-term care coverage.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed